# Cigar(s) burning too hot?



## Jade Falcon (Jul 16, 2015)

I take it some of the more seasoned smokers here don't have this problem. But I've only been smoking semi-consistently for about 3 years now, and I'm still learning.

My recent problem is that I think my sticks are burning too hot. And I think it's charring the tobacco and coming through as a bitter taste.

Is there something I can do to remedy this? And how do I know for sure if they are burning too hot? Can toasting too long give you a hotter burn? Am I smoking too fast? Am I taking in too much on the draw?

I would prefer my sticks to be cool to the touch. Not hot a third of the way down the stick from the cherry.

Thanks folks!


----------



## Scap (Nov 27, 2012)

It's not a race. Space your Puffs out and don't suck so hard....Gawd that sounds awful....Lol

Put 30-45 seconds between Puffs.


----------



## WABOOM (Oct 15, 2015)

Smaller puffs, even if they more often are better IMO.


----------



## UBC03 (Nov 18, 2015)

Ya, slow down the pace. Maybe purge it every now and then. 

Sent from my SM-G925V using Tapatalk


----------



## grapplefu (Jan 16, 2011)

Jade Falcon said:


> My recent problem is that I think my sticks are burning too hot. And I think it's charring the tobacco and coming through as a bitter taste.


If they're all tasting bitter from start to finish, your humidity may be too high. If they gradually get bitter, you're probably smoking too fast.


----------



## poppajon75 (Apr 10, 2016)

I agree with what's been suggested. I had to learn change my smoking cadence depending on what I was smoking. Vitola plays a part in it too. You can pull pretty good on a 6x60 rg but, try that on something like a 44-48 rg cigar and, you won't be able to hold it within 2+ inches behind the foot. 
I read in here a while back that a good indication that you're not drawing too often is that you should be able to hold the cigar 1/2" to 3/4"' behind the cherry (foot). Hope this helps.


----------



## Rondo (Sep 9, 2015)

Toast, don't roast.
I've made that mistake and the difference is surprisingly significant.
I've also learned to toast before cutting, or at least if I've cut first, I thumb the hole while toasting.

So far this thread has offered...
1) don't suck too hard
2) thumb the hole

_disclaimer for our better halves, we really are just talking about cigars_


----------



## Jade Falcon (Jul 16, 2015)

poppajon75 said:


> I agree with what's been suggested. I had to learn change my smoking cadence depending on what I was smoking. Vitola plays a part in it too. You can pull pretty good on a 6x60 rg but, try that on something like a 44-48 rg cigar and, you won't be able to hold it within 2+ inches behind the foot.
> I read in here a while back that a good indication that you're not drawing too often is that you should be able to hold the cigar 1/2" to 3/4"' behind the cherry (foot). Hope this helps.


It does, thank you!



Rondo said:


> Toast, don't roast.
> I've made that mistake and the difference is surprisingly significant.
> I've also learned to toast before cutting, or at least if I've cut first, I thumb the hole while toasting.
> 
> ...


LOL, nice.

I never toast before cutting the cap. The reason being is that just after toasting, I'll bring it to my lips and twist it while puffing and lighting.

......boy, this thread certainly went perverted, didn't it? :vs_laugh:

Also, I'm not sure if this is relevant, but.....most of the time, my burn will be crooked on one side and strait on the other. It drives me freaking nuts. I'm constantly having to touch it up to get it to even out, and sometimes I'll char the wrapper (happened last night with a Fuente Hemingway Perfecto).

Thoughts on that?


----------



## Rondo (Sep 9, 2015)

After toasting, I let it cool for a minute. After that, it lights much quicker.
Toasting is just browning the foot, not incinerating until it glows.
Remember, a torch lighter burns around 2000+ degrees F.


----------



## Jade Falcon (Jul 16, 2015)

Rondo said:


> After toasting, I let it cool for a minute. After that, it lights much quicker.
> Toasting is just browning the foot, not incinerating until it glows.
> Remember, a torch lighter burns around 2000+ degrees F.


I almost never use a lighter to light the cigar. Normally, I use Diamond Long Extra Reach matches, with the rare exception of lighting a closed-foot cigar, like a Fuente Perfecto or Short Story. Those I'll light with a torch lighter.

And that's the reason I'm getting a Colibri Julius double-flame flint lighter in May. A birthday gift to myself. I much prefer a soft flame to that of a torch, except for touch-ups.


----------



## csk415 (Sep 6, 2016)

Treat the cigar as if you were roasting a marshmallow. Hopefully you don't like your marshmallows burnt to a crisp. As I get closer to the flame and start to see smoke that's where I stop. Use the heat and not the flame to get a roast going. Move the cigar in circles to get an even roast. Once you see a little smoke gently blow on the foot to help get it going (like you would a campfire). This is how I light a good smoke. Yard sticks are a little different. I just set fire to them and go on. They usually require several relights before I'm done with them. Like several have said the slower you smoke it the cooler it stays. Hot box it and it's like trying to hold a hot potato.


----------



## Bird-Dog (Oct 16, 2009)

I'm going to go a little against the grain. I don't think the temperature of the flame when lighting has any lasting effect on flavor unless you overshoot and scorch the sides of the wrapper. Once the initial lighting is done, it's how you puff on it that causes a cigar to burn hot or not.

Three things are required for ignition:


 A Heat source = flame
 Oxygen = in the air
 Fuel = tobacco, in this case.

The ignition point of tobacco is what it is, something like 400° I think. And with the input of additional oxygen can increase to something like 900°, maybe higher; I'm not sure. When you put a cigar down between puffs it starts cooling due to limited oxygen input, eventually to the point of going out. Doesn't matter if your jet-flame was at 2500° or whatever for lighting, the ember isn't going to stay that hot. It's when you puff on the cigar and increase oxygen flow that it's allowed to burn hotter, like blowing on campfire embers.

Therefore, in my view, unless you really screw up on the initial lighting, and assuming the cigar is in acceptable RH range, any problems with burning too hot are your own fault for puffing too much, too often, or too hard. But the RH can be critical.

Charring the foot should not cause flavor problems. That's part of the ignition process. Charring the side of the wrapper might. But, most typically, bitter flavors are a result of smoking over-humidified cigars and/or overheating the cigar by puffing.


----------



## scott1256ca (Jan 4, 2017)

> So far this thread has offered...
> 1) don't suck too hard
> 2) thumb the hole


I almost inhaled a carrot when I read this.


----------



## scott1256ca (Jan 4, 2017)

Share with us please what RH and maybe temp your humidor is at? How long are you resting your cigars? What humidification method are you using?
I'm wondering about the uneven burns and the method of humidification. But if there is a problem with any of that I'll let the experts tell you how to fix it.

Edit:
Also the matches: you aren't getting in there too quick before the head of the match has burnt off or anything?


----------



## LeatherNeck (Feb 8, 2017)

Edit:Also the matches: you aren't getting in there too quick before the head of the match has burnt off or anything?[/QUOTE said:


> Very good point! Always allow a match to burn past the head b4 lighting a cigar. Is it a huge factor for the taste of the cigar? Initially, maybe; but once you get into it, I wouldn't think so.


----------



## MidwestToker (Sep 14, 2016)

I'm with @curmudgeonista - the end result is a hot, red ember. I don't think it matters greatly how long you toast the cigar in order to get it to that point. However, puffing on the cigar like a mad man while you're lighting it will likely impart some off flavors. I've seen many people continue to puff on their cigar with a flame to the foot for a solid 10-20 seconds. That's just filling the cigar with hot, bitter smoke and burning your nose hairs.

Cadence is important. I try and puff only twice per minute. I also try not to take hard, long draws. It's hard not to. I think we've all been conditioned to light and smoke cigars the way we see mob bosses do it in the movies.


----------



## Gummy Jones (Mar 30, 2017)

didnt read through the rest of the answers but when in doubt, slow down and take a single/steady 2 second draw and dont touch it again for at least 30-45 seconds


----------



## LeatherNeck (Feb 8, 2017)

I am actually guilty of quite the opposite when it comes to smoking speed. I often find myself not puffing often enough and have to adjust my cadence. Every cigar, even of the same box, has its own burn rate. It's important to find that "sweet spot" and stay there to get the most enjoyment possible from stick to stick. Learning to read how a cigar is doing is something that, like all things in this hobby, takes time and patience (as well as trial and error). 1-2 puffs a minute is a general starting point. However, the RH of the cigar storage, the weather, as well as ambient humidity at the time of smoking are all factors that will dictate the rate at which the cigar will want to burn. Who said Science ain't fun?


----------



## scott1256ca (Jan 4, 2017)

LeatherNeck said:


> Very good point! Always allow a match to burn past the head b4 lighting a cigar. Is it a huge factor for the taste of the cigar? Initially, maybe; but once you get into it, I wouldn't think so.


I agree, it shouldn't affect the whole cigar. But why waste the first few minutes?  After reading here, I have to reevaluate my "toasting" procedure. Maybe I can do better, tho I have been enjoying the first few puffs since I started.


----------



## Gummy Jones (Mar 30, 2017)

wrong thread


----------



## CloakedInSmoke (Sep 14, 2016)

No one mentioned the tightness of a draw/pack. This could be one of the things people new to cigars may not understand. On two opposite spectrums (snug and loose) cigar may overheat, so when drawing some caution is needed. Every cigar will smoke differently and adjusting to each one is necessary. A tight draw may or may not loosen up, but drawing too hard may lead to overheating. Similar idea applies to loose draw which requires gentle puffs.

That's what I've learned within the last year and it works for me.


----------



## Jade Falcon (Jul 16, 2015)

scott1256ca said:


> Share with us please what RH and maybe temp your humidor is at? How long are you resting your cigars? What humidification method are you using?
> I'm wondering about the uneven burns and the method of humidification. But if there is a problem with any of that I'll let the experts tell you how to fix it.
> 
> Edit:
> Also the matches: you aren't getting in there too quick before the head of the match has burnt off or anything?


Ugh. Well....so a couple months ago, my RH started going down until it bottomed out at 61 and 62% RH respectively. So I thought "well, it's time for two new Boveda packs". So I went out about 2 weeks ago and bought two new large 65% packs, and put them in there. However, now my RH is reading consistently at 67%, which it's never done before. It was usually pretty rock-steady at 64-65%.

So, as we speak, I have one of the large 60-gram Boveda packs in a 1-quart Ziploc freezer bag, along with my Caliber IV hygrometer, to see if it needs to be calibrated.....which I've never done with this hygrometer since I've had it.

I've had it in there about 45 minutes thus far, and it was reading 67% RH. However, I moved it around a little, and now it's reading 65%. So I'm going to let that sit while I go off and get some sleep. I think my cigars will be fine sealed away in my Klip-It 7L bin with just one Boveda pack. I've only got about 20 cigars in there.

Also, this is what I use to light my cigars and toast them (just throwing this out there because you asked about the matches):

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Diamond-Long-Reach-Matches-75ct/16930288










And yes, I let the phosphorus on the tip burn off before I toast.

So thank you everyone for replying to this, and I apologize that it's taken me so long to get back to you. I'll check in when I wake up, and check up on the hygrometer.

:vs_cool:


----------



## Kidvegas (Oct 17, 2016)

Great idea to check your calibration. Did you also change out the batteries?They do need replacing, i do this every time i recalibrate. You are also correct that your stick's will absolutely be fine in the tupper with the bovedas. The air tight plastic basically makes hygrometer's obsolete! 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## scott1256ca (Jan 4, 2017)

If your hygro is reading a couple percent too high, that would mean your sticks were at 59% or 60%. That might explain cigars being a little hot. I'm not sure it would be sufficient to explain it completely. But it doesn't sound like this is a new issue either. 
Boveda's are certainly a good way to humidify, I don't think anyone would argue that. I don't see anything there to explain wonky burns. 
Wish I could be of more assistance.


----------



## WABOOM (Oct 15, 2015)

2% is probably just the accuracy of the hygrometer being off.


----------



## Jade Falcon (Jul 16, 2015)

Kidvegas said:


> Great idea to check your calibration. Did you also change out the batteries?They do need replacing, i do this every time i recalibrate. You are also correct that your stick's will absolutely be fine in the tupper with the bovedas. The air tight plastic basically makes hygrometer's obsolete!
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I never have changed the battery, and I've actually been meaning to ask how often I'm supposed to change it. Gonna get a new battery tonight.



WABOOM said:


> 2% is probably just the accuracy of the hygrometer being off.


Could the shift in higher RH be the battery? I left this hygrometer in a ziploc bag with a large 65% Boveda pack, and it's reading 67% after about 12 hours or so.


----------



## scott1256ca (Jan 4, 2017)

It might be. I put new batteries in a cheapo digital and it read about 3% high for a day or two before it settled down. A weak battery might have a similar effect. At least I wouldn't totally discount the idea.


----------



## Jade Falcon (Jul 16, 2015)

scott1256ca said:


> It might be. I put new batteries in a cheapo digital and it read about 3% high for a day or two before it settled down. A weak battery might have a similar effect. At least I wouldn't totally discount the idea.


Well, I can certainly say that the Caliber IV is far from "cheapo". It's high quality with a good reputation. Damn thing cost me $30. I don't spend that much in 2 weeks on a tank of gas.

Which is why I expect it to work strait from the factory. Which it did. I just simply don't know why it's jumped up 2%. But we'll find out when I change the battery.


----------



## Kidvegas (Oct 17, 2016)

If you've bought the battery then go ahead and change it..that's definitely not gonna hurt anything! Afterward put the hygrometer back into the tupper with the boveda pack for another day or so. After that time if it's still high, your specific hygo can be calibrated right? So recalibrate to the boveda rh and let it sit another day. You should be good to go after that. 

I really don't have a good answer as to why the hygro all the sudden is higher than the packs. Fresh batteries and recalibration is all you can really do. If that doesn't work perhaps the hygro just went bad and it's time to grab a new one. 

Hope this helps.. Happy Easter!




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## WABOOM (Oct 15, 2015)

Just make a mental note of the deviation. Or write it on a sticker on the unit. I've done that.


----------



## scott1256ca (Jan 4, 2017)

> Well, I can certainly say that the Caliber IV is far from "cheapo"


I wasn't trying to imply that it was. Just that that one of mine is. And I would also expect a better hygro to perform better than mine, just that you can't completely discount the possibility of a weak battery causing the hygro to not perform at its utmost.


----------



## Jade Falcon (Jul 16, 2015)

scott1256ca said:


> I wasn't trying to imply that it was. Just that that one of mine is. And I would also expect a better hygro to perform better than mine, just that you can't completely discount the possibility of a weak battery causing the hygro to not perform at its utmost.


I'm sorry, I didn't mean to imply that that is what you meant.

I'll change the battery tonight and see if that works.


----------



## scott1256ca (Jan 4, 2017)

It's all good.


----------

